AP JAC chief accuses govt of betraying employees

Hans India

3 days ago

Vizianagaram: AP JAC Amaravati state president Bopparaju Venkateswarlu accused the coalition government of betraying government employees by failing to fulfill promises made during election campaigns.
Addressing a press conference here during his district-wide tour, Venkateswarlu pointed to the growing discontent and insecurity among government employees across Andhra Pradesh due to the government's failure to deliver on pre-election commitments.
He was in the district to attend a meeting to form the new AP JAC Amaravati committee for the united Vizianagaram district. The AP JAC is conducting statewide visits to form new committees and collect feedback from employees.
'We are gathering suggestions and grievances to pursue appropriate redressal measures,' Venkateswarlu said. Despite the coalition government being in power for over a year, it has not addressed key employee concerns, including pending arrears, Interim Relief (IR), Dearness Allowance (DA), and the cancellation of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
Venkateswarlu pointed out that TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu had promised a better Pay Revision Commission (PRC) and other benefits before the elections. 'Employees are now reminding us of those promises through video recordings,' he remarked.
Venkateswarlu criticised the government for failing to appoint a PRC commissioner even after a year. 'Four DA instalments remain pending, and over Rs 25,000 crore is due to employees,' he stated, urging the government to ensure transparency by reflecting pending amounts in payslips or through official communication.
He reiterated the demand for restoring the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for employees recruited before December 31, 2004. Highlighting the plight of contract and outsourcing staff, he noted that of approximately 10,000 contract employees, only 3,000 were regularised previously, and the rest deserve permanent status.
He also called for addressing the severe financial struggles faced by outsourced employees. Venkateswarlu urged the government to initiate immediate dialogue with employee unions and form a cabinet sub-committee to resolve these issues.
He referenced the 2022 'Chalo Vijayawada' protest, which gained national attention, warning that unresolved grievances could lead to similar unrest. Revenue Services Association president T Govinda and others attended the event.